DIRT NV

09/29/2022

Kick off early by hiking and exploring with Tortoise Group.

Join us for our in-person ROaDs App Training for Identifying Tortoise Sign and Raven Monitoring event.

When: Sunday, October 2, 9am-12pm
Where: Jean/Roach Dry Lake Bed at the intersection of Knight Ranch Rd/ Las Vegas Blvd. (just south of the Seven Magic Mountains).

Learn how to become a citizen scientist and collect data using our ROaDs App.

We’ll be showing how to identify different types of tortoise sign as well as how to monitor ravens and signs of predation.

09/15/2022

Don't miss your chance to join the Mojave Max Challenge. Boulder City Police Department officers who patrol the Boulder City Conservation Easement have challenged Clark County residents to ! Can you find more balloons than the officers? Register your 2-person team today.

During September and October, while you are out hiking, biking, or off-roading, pick up any balloons you find--they are dangerous to desert wildlife. Be sure to post your finds on IG with . Good Luck, and be safe out there.

Winner will be announced the first week in November.

08/26/2022

Spent the morning with our dear friend Cactus Joe talking carbon capture plants, providing bright futures for pollinators and showing our desert home some love.
Stay tuned for exciting updates and follow if you don’t already.
Join them for native plant fun, yoga classes and all kinds of events!

04/07/2022

Join us in celebrating National Wildlife Week!

Visit nfw.org to learn more about conservation, and how you can help your local ecosystems

03/26/2022

03/24/2022

02/23/2022

Powerful Partnership Scholarship update!

We have extended the application deadline for southern Nevada to Feb. 28 and northern Nevada applications are due March 1. Visit nvenergy.com/scholarship for more info.

02/15/2022

Great Basin Institute, founded at the University of Nevada Reno in 1998, is a mission-driven non-profit organization headquartered in the eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. GBI has been a leader in the conservation stewardship field for over two decades, supporting thousands of indivi...

02/15/2022

? Pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis). You may have to look hard to find these adorable hopping neighbors, as the pygmy rabbit is the smallest rabbit found in North America. Even when fully grown, these rabbits are only about 11 inches long and weigh less than a pound. They have short, rounded ears that have fur on the inside and outside to keep them warm through the winter. Common to the Leporid family of rabbits, the pygmy rabbit has a small tail that is white underneath, but one so small that they often do not appear to have a tail at all!
Similar to other animals here in Nevada, the pygmy rabbit is a sagebrush obligate species. This means that these rabbits rely on sagebrush to survive. They are herbivores with roughly 90% of their diet consisting of sagebrush—and as high as 99% during the winter months. While they are one of only two North American rabbits to create burrows, the sagebrush also provides an extra layer of protection when they are above the ground. Wildfires, human development in their native habitats, and loss of sagebrush due to invasive cheatgrass have led to the pygmy rabbit being a protected species on the Endangered Species List. Luckily, protections and collaborative conservation efforts have increased the population, but there is still a long way to go. We can help these little creatures by supporting agencies aiding in their recovery, as well as do our part to protect their habitat! Learn more about the pygmy rabbit and other Nevada wildlife here! https://www.ndow.org/species-information/

02/14/2022

We earned a 2022 Silver Seal with ! Check out our to learn more and make a difference with your support!
Link in comments!
All of our platforms are under construction as we’ve been busy making progress, stay turned for updates!

02/11/2022

Dr. Mary Cablk, Desert Research Institute Associate Research Professor, is here to discuss her journey to becoming a scientist and why young girls should consider a career in on International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

“Living in Hawaii certainly had an influence on my love of nature from an early age.”

“Two significant crossroads put me on the path of science. First, when I was in high school the world was very different than it is today. There weren't blended career opportunities as we have now. I was talented in both art and science and had applied to both art colleges and traditional colleges. I chose to go into science because I was concerned that I might lose my artistic passion if it became work. I knew I would never lose my curiosity about the world. Second, I had an origin moment that solidified where I was headed. I was in college on a field trip to Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in western North Carolina. Those mountains and the creatures that were hidden in them opened my eyes to what being a field scientist was about. To this day I remember the clear rushing stream and the earthy smell of the duff while we sweated it out in those humid mountains.”

“Today's world offers what seems to be endless opportunities to blend interests. The technology that exists is astounding. I don't have a good handle on how much today's students are being taught the foundations that underlie the technology, but I would recommend they take every opportunity to understand what is behind the buttons that they push. Step off the pavement, kneel and get a good whiff of that musky earth, cradle a living creature in the palm of your hand, marvel at sandstone formations and sheer granite faces. Get dirty. Wonder. There is inspiration to be found everywhere you look if you're willing to see it; and you've got everything on board to do whatever it is you choose. Don't give up.”